Chapter 107: University Screening [4]

The older woman blinked several times, slowly getting back to her senses after staring at the crystal.

She adjusted her glasses and looked at Amon from head to toe.

It was as if she were trying to figure out whether there was something normal about him that she had somehow missed.

"You really are an anomaly."

Amon scratched his cheek. "Thank you?"

The older woman ignored his comment and walked toward him, extending her hand.

"My name is Professor Evelyn Hartwell. I’m a professor at the Royal University."

Amon shook her hand politely. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Professor Hartwell."

Professor Hartwell released his hand and studied him again with obvious curiosity.

"Do you possess some kind of special bloodline?" she asked gently. "Perhaps an ancient lineage that hasn’t been recorded properly?"

Amon shook his head. "Nothing like that."

The professor fixed her glasses slightly. "Then perhaps you’ve consumed something unusual. A dragon’s heart, maybe? Or a rare magical fruit?"

Amon shook his head again. "I’ve never had anything like that."

Professor Hartwell sighed and adjusted her glasses. "That’s strange."

She stared at him for another moment before giving up on trying to understand it.

"You should visit me once you’re inside the Royal University."

Amon smiled. "I’ll do that."

Professor Hartwell nodded before walking away, leaving Amon standing beside the testing crystal.

Amon watched her disappear among the instructors before slowly turning around and walking back toward the waiting area.

Many of the students nearby were avoiding looking directly at him.

Some were whispering among themselves, while others occasionally glanced in his direction before quickly pretending they hadn’t been staring.

Amon paid them no attention. He simply sat down and waited for the test to finish.

---

Several hours later, the results of the Mana Test were finally announced.

The massive screen displayed the rankings of the students who had participated.

At the very top was a name that had already become familiar to everyone.

[1st Place: Amon Arcadia]

Amon stared at the screen for a moment before smiling. ’First place again.’

After taking first place in both the Physical Test and Mana Test, it was becoming increasingly difficult for anyone to underestimate him.

The students who had previously ignored him were now looking at him differently.

Several instructors had also begun discussing his results among themselves.

The announcer soon appeared on the screen. "Congratulations to everyone who successfully completed the Mana Test. You will now receive thirty minutes of rest before the Combat Test begins."

The students immediately began moving toward the next testing area.

Amon followed the crowd until they reached a large open field.

Dozens of medium-sized circles had been drawn across the ground, each one surrounded by a faint magical barrier.

Amon immediately understood what they were for. ’Looks like an arena.’

He found an empty bench on the side and sat down, stretching his legs while waiting for the Combat Test to begin.

He had barely settled down when someone approached and sat beside him.

Amon glanced sideways and found a boy with messy blonde hair and a calm expression.

He immediately remembered the name. ’Nolan Reed, the boy with abnormal spirit.’

Nolan turned his head and looked directly at Amon. "Have you already dived into the Spirit World?"

Amon tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Nolan smiled slightly as if he was already expecting a denial or avoidance.

"You don’t have to lie to me." He raised one finger and pointed toward his own eyes. "I have really special eyes. They can distinguish and filter people with abnormal spirits."

Amon’s expression remained calm, although he was slightly surprised that Nolan had noticed something like that.

He reached into his spatial bracelet and pulled out a bottle of water. "That’s a really nice power."

Nolan smiled and instead of answering, he turned his body toward Amon. "So, how was your experience there?"

Amon took a sip of water before lowering the bottle.

Rather than answering immediately, he asked his own question. "How do you avoid losing yourself in the Spirit World?"

Nolan’s expression became slightly more serious. "You need an anchor."

Amon’s eyes narrowed slightly. "How did you get one?"

Nolan simply smiled. "We can continue this conversation once we enter the Royal University."

He stood up and walked away before Amon could ask anything else.

Amon watched him leave with a baffled expression. ’Did he seriously come all the way over here just to show off?’

He shook his head and leaned back against the bench. ’People are weird.’

The thirty minutes passed surprisingly quickly.

Before Amon could become too bored, the announcer’s voice echoed across the entire testing area.

"All participants, please prepare yourselves. The Combat Test is about to begin."

The students immediately began moving toward the various circles.

The rules of the Combat Test were relatively simple.

Every student would have three matches, and their primary objective was to win.

However, the instructors weren’t simply looking at who could hit the hardest.

They would also judge the students’ abilities, adaptability, combat instincts, and battle IQ.

In other words, even someone with weaker physical abilities could receive a good evaluation if they demonstrated excellent combat skills.

Amon waited for his name to be called.

To his surprise, it happened almost immediately.

"Student Amon Arcadia, please enter Circle One."

Amon raised an eyebrow. ’First again?’

He stood up and walked toward the arena. A random student was already waiting for him inside whom Amon didn’t recognise.

The instructor acting as the referee pointed toward a nearby weapon rack and said, "You may choose one weapon before the match begins."

Amon glanced at the rack. There were swords, spears, axes, clubs, and several other weapons available.

He looked at them for a few seconds before deciding against using any of them.

Instead, he simply walked into the circle empty-handed.

His opponent immediately frowned. "What are you doing?"

Amon ignored him and continued walking forward.

The boy’s expression darkened. "Are you looking down on me?"

Amon stopped several meters away from him. "I didn’t say anything."

The boy cursed under his breath and tightened his grip around his sword.

The referee didn’t seem particularly interested in their argument.

He simply raised his hand. "Begin."

The moment the word left his mouth, Amon disappeared from where he was standing.

His opponent’s eyes widened. "Wait--"

Amon had already crossed the distance between them.

The boy swung his sword toward where he thought Amon would be, but the attack cut through empty air.

Amon ducked beneath the blade and stepped inside his opponent’s guard.

His fist drove into the boy’s stomach. The impact forced the air out of his lungs as his body bent forward.

Before he could recover, Amon followed with a quick elbow strike to his jaw.

The boy’s eyes rolled back, and his body collapsed onto the ground.

The referee immediately stepped forward.

"Match over."

The surrounding students stared at the unconscious boy.

Amon simply stood there and looked at the referee. ’That was easy.’

The referee glanced at the defeated student before looking back at Amon.

"You win."

Amon nodded and stepped out of the circle.

The first Combat Test match had lasted less than ten seconds.